Arrival of election materials delayed

LEGAZPI CITY — Elections in Sorsogon province may be delayed as election materials have not yet arrived.

Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Ryan Fulgeras is hopeful these materials may have been sent through air cargo and will arrive this morning.

Atty. Fulgeras said that elections will go on but will be delayed.

Teachers have stayed the whole night waiting for the materials. After a quick breakfast, they have returned to the Provincial Treasurer’s Office to wait for the election paraphernalia.

In Camarines Sur, per visit of PIA ICM at the Provincial Election Registrar, nobody can be interviewed but the utility man informed the PIA officer that the election materials have arrived 2 a.m. this morning and has been turned-over to the Provincial Treasurer.

PIA also learned that materials for the coastal municipalities of the province have not arrived.

The Provincial Election Supervisor of Camarines Sur is Atty. Noriel Badiola.

Meantime, COMELEC Regional Director Atty. Zacarias Zaragoza said in a radio interview that the office assumed that the election ballots should have been received a day before.

Atty. Zaragoza announced in same interview that elections in Ligao City in Albay will go on.

People in the Bicol region are asking if tomorrow will be declared a holiday since most areas will hold its election tomorrow, Oct 26.

In Camarines Norte, arrival of election materials was delayed, too

Arrival of election paraphernalia in the 12 towns of Camarines Norte were delayed, according to Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Annie Romero.

In the capital town of Daet the materials arrived 4 a.m., while nearby Labo town 3:30 a.m. These towns are still distributing the election materials until reporting time. In Daet, conduct of elections has not yet started.

Romero said that the materials has just arrived the town hall of Capalonga, the farthest town from the Daet. (PIA V/Sorsogon/CamSur/CamNorte)

PNP Legazpi pulls out security personnel as elections postponed for tomorrow

LEGAZPI CITY — With the postponement of elections in Legazpi City, Philippine National Police security personnel were pulled out 8 a.m.

Legazpi City Chief of Police PCI Abelardo Borromeo said that the pull-out has the consent of higher authorities, that of PNP Albay.

The 188 police force are now assigned for police visibility patrol and maintenance of checkpoints.

COP Borromeo added that the case of gun ban violator remains to 1 incident while as of reporting time only 1 case of liquor ban infringement recorded.

Combined election security group for Legazpi remains on alert in the city.

According to Borromeo PNP Legazpi is beefed up by the Charlie Company 2IB Philippine Army whose assignment is the upland barangays of the city, the Philippine Navy at the coastal barangays, the Philippine Air Force in barangay Bonga. Police personnel of the Albay Public Safety, likewise, assists the city police force. (PIA V)

Many areas in Bicol may not go on with the conduct of elections

LEGAZPI CITY — Many areas in Albay and Masbate have not received its election paraphernalia, which means election may be conducted tomorrow.

Teachers are still hanging around waiting at the office of treasurers for the arrival of said documents.

According to Albay Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Romeo Serrano only the municipalities of Camalig, Malilipot and Pioduran and the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao will go on with the elections.

Atty. Serrano said Tabaco City lacks 14,000 ballots.

Meantime, in Legazpi City, voters instead of going to polling places are milling around in front of the city hall waiting for reports if election will go on. At 7:15 a.m. today, Atty. Jasmin Banzuela announced that elections in Legazpi City is postponed due to incomplete arrival of ballots.

Legazpi City Chief of Police Borromeo said that he will pull out the assigned security personnel.

In the island province of Masbate, only three of 21 barangays have received today said election paraphernalia. These are the towns of Milagros, Palanas, Placer. Even Masbate City has not received the materials.

Atty. Alberto Cañares, provincial election supervisor, said that not all areas will have election today if the ballots will not be received by 12 noon today.

Over in another island province of Catanduanes, Provincial Election Registrar Atty. Ma. Aurea Bunao said that only the capital town of Virac will have its elections but will start at 10 a.m. today. Other polling places in the 10 more towns will have its elections if the ballots will arrive 12 noon today. (PIA V/Mabate/Catanduanes)

BIR BICOL FILES CHARGES AGAINST PDIC EXEC

LEGAZPI CITY— The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Bicol has filed a criminal case against the chief liquidator of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) for failure to present for examination the books of accounts and other accounting records of a foreclosed bank, a top regional official of the bureau disclosed.

BIR Revenue Region 10 Director Atty. Diosdado R. Mendoza told PIA News Service that BIR has filed criminal charges against PDIC’s official for failure to obey summons, under Section 5 in relation to Section 266 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Mendoza said the tax bureau has filed the charges last week at the Iriga City Prosecutor’s Office following the failure of the PDIC chief liquidator to comply with BIR’s Subpoena Duces Tecum (SDT), received by the PDIC last December 8, 2009, and despite several follow ups and appeal from the bureau for an audit investigation of the 2007 and 2008 to determine the tax liabilities of the foreclosed G7 Bank.

G7 Bank (also Rural Bank of Nabua, Inc.) was closed for business by PDIC in 2008 due to problems in the banks cash outflow, despite being the biggest rural bank in Bicol with seven branches spread throughout the region and two other branches in the Metro Manila.

The bank was placed first under receivership by the PDIC which took charge of all its assets, records and affairs, subsequently, went through a liquidation process under the supervision of the PDIC to dispose all of its assets and properties.

Mendoza furthered the filing of charges is in line with the directive of BIR Commissioner Kim Henares not only to run after tax evaders but also to file charges against persons obstructing the tax bureau’s effort to collect the right taxes.

Meanwhile, the tax bureau chief said that BIR Bicol’s seven revenue district offices collected a total of P3.2 billion from January to August or 29.29 percent over the same period last. The tax bureau in Bicol has set a tax collection goal of P4.7 billion for 2010.

Mendoza added that BIR Bicol has continually surpassed its tax collection target for the past three consecutive years. (EDLeon, PIA V/mal)
AKO BICOL FILES MOTORCYCLE ANTI-OVERLOADING BILL

LEGAZPI CITY— Ako Bikol (AKB) partylist has filed House Bill No. 3360 that will prohibit overloading of motorcycles and limits passengers to those above 12 years old.

The increasing prices of petroleum and traffic congestion led to the increase in the number of motorcycle purchases. Use of motorcycles is found to be a convenient, efficient, and cheaper means to evade traffic.

Admirably, Congress responded to this concern when it passed Republic Act No. 10054 or the “Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009”, which mandates the use of helmets for drivers and passengers.

However, AKB reps also recognize the need to act on the uncontrolled overloading of motorcycles, which, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority, is one of the major causes of motorcycle accidents.

Motorcycles are made to accommodate only two (2) persons – the driver and one passenger. It has become a habit to accommodate more than two persons as in the case of the habal-habal, a popular public utility in the rural areas, which can accommodate around six (6) people.

They also observed the dangerous habit of including infants and children as passengers. Alarming also is the fact that the use of helmets for toddlers and infants is not imposed. This presents a very dangerous situation that endangers the lives of children who ride motorcycles unprotected, usually snuggled between parents or tucked in the arms of a parent.

The bill is aimed at lessening, if not eradicating, the dangers imposed by motorcycle-overloading and safeguarding the interests of children. (AKB PAO/PIA/mal)

HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR KABIHUG TRIBE ON IP WEEK

DAET, Camarines Norte – The Indigenous People (IP) here locally known ‘kabihug’ in sitio Kalibighu, Barangay, Osmeña, Jose Panganiban this province joins the IP week celebration last week.

Atty. Nydia A. Hebrio, OIC of the National Commission on Indigenous People said that activities conducted include: basic hygiene training, malaria and tuberculosis awareness last October 13 and 15 respectively.

A medical mission, civil wedding, civil registration, tribal wedding and cultural night presentation with songs and dances were held October 15.

The Kabihug also participated in tribal games, IP forum with partners and stakeholders, and awarding of prizes and surprise gifts last Oct. 16.

Earlier the kabihug attended the training in cultural mural painting and benefited in the alternative supplemental feeding for the IP children.

The activity was sponsored by the Diocese of Daet, SFACFI, Caritas Australia and the Indigenous People Empowerment and Development Project (IP-EDP).

This year’s theme “ Kabihug tagapagpayabong ng lupaing katutubo”. (RBManlangit, PIA CamNorte)

PIA Regional Director Eduardo A. de Leon (upper right photo) presides over the Regional Information Advocacy Committee of the RDC meeting at NEDA Conference room last October 20. Photo shows PIA Information Officer-IV Aida Alcazar-Naz (left upper photo) read the Constitution and By Laws of the BicolComNet, Inc., Information Officer of government entities in the Bicol Region, are present to discuss their plans & programs.